Parenting is one of life’s most enriching experiences, filled with challenges, joys, and moments that leave parents in awe. Throughout history, many have attempted to encapsulate the complex nature of parenting through words.
Below, we present 60 of the best quotes about parenting that resonate with the highs and lows, the laughter and tears, and the eternal love that comes with raising children.
Each quote is a reminder of the beauty, struggle, and ultimate reward of parenting. Whether you’re a new parent or have been on this journey for years, these quotes will inspire, comfort, and celebrate the incredible role of a parent.
60 Quotes About Parenting
1. “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” – Frederick Douglass
2. “Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.” – Margaret Mead
3. “The most important work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own home.” – Harold B. Lee
4. “There is no such thing as a perfect parent. Just be a real one.” – Sue Atkins
5. “Parenting without a sense of humor is like being an accountant who sucks at math.” – Amber Dusick
6. “Behind every young child who believes in themselves is a parent who believed first.” – Matthew Jacobson
7. “The best way to make children good is to make them happy.” – Oscar Wilde
8. “Parenting is not for the faint of heart. You have to be willing to screw up at every level.” – Jodi Picoult
9. “At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child’s success is the positive involvement of parents.” – Jane D. Hull
10. “It’s not only children who grow. Parents do too. As much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are watching us to see what we do with ours.” – Joyce Maynard
11. “Children are apt to live up to what you believe of them.” – Lady Bird Johnson
12. “Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person’s character lies in their own hands.” – Anne Frank
13. “My parents loved us, but I wasn’t always sure they liked us.” – Tahereh Mafi
14. “The biggest thing parents can do is understand that the phase their child is in right now is their reality.” – Megan Coulter
15. “Your children will become what you are; so be what you want them to be.” – David Bly
16. “There really are places in the heart you don’t even know exist until you love a child.” – Anne Lamott
17. “Parenthood…It’s about guiding the next generation and forgiving the last.” – Peter Krause
18. “No one is ever quite ready; everyone is always caught off guard. Parenthood chooses you.” – Marisa de los Santos
19. “Parenting is the easiest thing in the world to have an opinion about, but the hardest thing in the world to do.” – Matt Walsh
20. “Parents are the bones on which children cut their teeth.” – Peter Ustinov
21. “The thing about parenting rules is there aren’t any. That’s what makes it so difficult.” – Ewan McGregor
22. “The joy in motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times, but amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction.” – Elder M. Russell Ballard
23. “We may not be able to prepare the future for our children, but we can at least prepare our children for the future.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
24. “To be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you have to be in their lives today.” – Barbara Johnson
25. “The most powerful thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.” – Howard W. Hunter
26. “If you have never been hated by your child, you have never been a parent.” – Bette Davis
27. “A parent’s love is whole no matter how many times divided.” – Robert Brault
28. “Motherhood: All love begins and ends there.” – Robert Browning
29. “One thing I had learned from watching chimpanzees with their infants is that having a child should be fun.” – Jane Goodall
30. “Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” – James Baldwin
31. “Children are the anchors that hold a mother to life.” – Sophocles
32. “A father’s goodness is higher than the mountain; a mother’s goodness, deeper than the sea.” – Japanese Proverb
33. “The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness.” – Honoré de Balzac
34. “Parents need to fill a child’s bucket of self-esteem so high that the rest of the world can’t poke enough holes to drain it dry.” – Alvin Price
35. “The influence of a mother in the lives of her children is beyond calculation.” – James E. Faust
36. “A father is someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow.” – Unknown
37. “Being a parent means loving your children more than you’ve ever loved yourself.” – Unknown
38. “In the happiest of our childhood memories, our parents were happy, too.” – Robert Brault
39. “There is no friendship, no love, like that of the parent for the child.” – Henry Ward Beecher
40. “A good parent is someone who tries to think ahead and prepare their child for life, but also recognizes you can never fully prepare someone for life.” – S. Holland
41. “The beauty of motherhood is not in the freshly pressed shirts and smiling photos we show the world. The beauty of motherhood is in the folds and creases of our lives, the grimaces, and tantrums, the moments when we have to grit our teeth to get through, and those moments when we surrender and just hug our kids tight.” – Devishobha Chandramouli
42. “To all mothers and fathers, remember that your influence on your child is the greatest influence in their life.” – Nick Vujicic
43. “Raising a child is like planting a tree. You water it and care for it, watch its growth with awe, protecting it from harm, ultimately marveling at its beauty and strength.” – Unknown
44. “It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.” – Maya Angelou
45. “You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance.” – Franklin P. Adams
46. “Parenting is like gardening; you don’t know how successful you are until the crops come in.” – Unknown
47. “Sometimes the strength of motherhood is greater than the world’s natural laws.” – Barbara Kingsolver
48. “The best security blanket a child can have is parents who respect each other.” – Jane Blaustone
49. “A child enters your home and for the next twenty years makes so much noise you can hardly stand it. The child departs, leaving the house so silent you think you are going mad.” – John Andrew Holmes
50. “There are no perfect parents, and there are no perfect children, but there are plenty of perfect moments along the way.” – Dave Willis
51. “The greatest thing you can do for your children is love their mother.” – Anon
52. “A parent’s love is whole, no matter how many times it’s divided.” – Unknown
53. “Love is giving your kids your undivided attention and time.” – Kevin Heath
54. “Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.” – C.S. Lewis
55. “Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs since the payment is pure love.” – Mildred B. Vermont
56. “The only love that I really believe in is a mother’s love for her children.” – Karl Lagerfeld
57. “Parents. They didn’t leave you when you were young, so don’t leave them when they are old.” – Unknown
58. “A parent’s job isn’t to prevent their child from falling, but to pick them up, kiss them, and encourage them to try again.” – Unknown
59. “Watching your child grow up is bittersweet but knowing they have been taught well will help ease some of your worries.” – Unknown
60. “Parenthood is the passing of a baton, followed by a lifelong cheerleading stint.” – Unknown
Parenting is a mosaic of moments – some fraught with challenges, others overflowing with joy. Each quote about parenting featured here serves as a beacon to guide, inspire, and reaffirm the unconditional love and relentless dedication parenting requires. Whether you’re seeking comfort in challenging times or celebrating a milestone, these quotes serve as reminders of the universal experiences that bond all parents together.
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